Louise Hazel calls for a qualification period for foreign imports to GB squad

COMMONWEALTH heptathlon champion Louise Hazel has called for a change to the policy that allows foreign athletes to compete for Great Britain.

COMMONWEALTH heptathlon champion Louise Hazel has called for a change to the policy that allows foreign athletes to compete for Great Britain.

The Birchfield Harrier saw her national 100 metres hurdles title snatched by American Tiffany Ofili-Porter at the Aviva UK Trials and Championships on Saturday.

Having won the event in 2010 Hazel finished fourth this year behind, Gemma Bennett, fellow multi-eventer Jessica Ennis and Michigan-born Ofili-Porter.

And while she insists she has no personal animosity towards the naturalised Briton, the 25-year-old says she would like it to be made more difficult to swap nationality – especially given the proximity of the 2012 Olympics.

“I would like to welcome Tiffany to the GB team and congratulate her for her national record,” Hazel said. “But there is a lot of talk at the moment about being so close to the Games.

“It’s difficult because if it was an athlete in my event I would be upset that someone has come in so close to the Games claiming citizenship when we know how hard we work in the cold conditions and things like that.

“I am really happy for Tiff, she seems to be finding her feet here, she is turning up to the trials and she is really putting the work in to confirm her place in the team.

“I just hope she continues with the attitude she has got and I can’t wait to see her perform in London.”

Asked if she would prefer such athletes to serve a qualification period, however, Hazel was unequivocal. “Honestly I would like perhaps two or three years. I think then that’s a real commitment. But hey-ho, we haven’t got that but we have just gained a brilliant athlete so we should be happy.”

Ofili-Porter is indeed the best of a handful of Americans who have claimed British nationality in the last year.

She won European indoor silver on her GB debut in March and has since set new indoor and outdoor records over the sprint hurdles.

And her personal best of 12.60 seconds makes her a strong contender to reach her final at the World Championships in Daegu later this month.

However, another allegiance switcher, 400m runner Shana Cox from Long Island, will not be eligible to compete for Team GB in South Korea despite the fact both her parents are British.

Long jumper Shara Proctor, from Anguilla, also won her first British title at the weekend just a few months after declaring her intention to represent Britain.

Indeed UK athletics is replete with imports such as Jamaican-born high jumper Germaine Mason who won Olympic silver in 2008 but who rarely competes here.

And American-born Michael Bingham failed to make the 400m final last weekend while triple jumper Julian Reid won the long jump.